Ice cube tray



Y Filed July 23, 1945 Dec. 21, 1948. H- COLLISER 2,456,924

ICE CUBE TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec 21 1943- H. coLLlsTER 2,456,924

' ICE CUBE TRAY A Filed July 2:5, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M i Hugh CoHsTer 3 "w Patented Dec. 21,l w48 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE CUBE TRAY Hugh Collister, Grand Rapids, Mich. Application July 23, 1945, Serial No. 606,616

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a novel construction of ice cube tray in which water may be frozen, and by means of the mechanism which I have devised the ice in shapes in accordance with the cells or recesses -of the tray may be broken and separated therefrom in a novel and effective manner.

Water upon freezing in. a containing tray expands and the ice adheres to the bottom, sides and ends of the parts of the tray with which the water and later the ice is in contact. The separation of the ice cubes, so-called, under such circumstances has heretofore been difcult if separation is made immediately upon removing the tray from the refrigerator; and in other cases attempting to warm the tray and cause a melting at the bottom, sides and ends of the cubes for easy separation requires time, is inconvenient and is productive of undesirable messy conditions. My invention is directed to a practical eiective removal of the cubes from the tray and their separation from the parts oi the mechanism and tray with which they have formed a bond,

An understanding of the invention may be had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. l is a perspective View showing, separated, the several parts of the novel structure which I have devised.

2 is a transverse vertical section through the assembled tray.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation thereof,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section with the parts in the position which they .occupy while the freezing is taking place, and

Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal section illustrating the operation of breaking loose the ice cubes.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the diierent iigures of the drawings.

In the construction shown, a holding tray forwater of conventional shape having a bottom I, generally vertical sides 2 and vertical'ends 3 and 4 is provided, the ends being thicker than the sides, and each at its inner side, substantially midway between its ends, being provided with one of the vertical slots 5 and B as shown, which extend from the inner side of the tray partly through said ends.

Within the tray and transversely thereof, a plurality of spaced apart partitions 'I are located and permanently secured in place. Each preferably at its lower end and at each side thereof has a laterally extending flange 8 which bears against the upper side of the bottom. Such partitions may be welded, soldered or otherwise secured in place or they may be integral with the other parts of the tray. Also at each end 3 and 4 a like lateral ange 8 is provided. The partitions are divided midway between their ends producing vertical spaces between adjacent transversely alined partitions which are in alinement with the vertical slots 5 and 6. In Dractice the outer ends of the partitions 1 may be securely connected to the sides 2 vof the tray. Alternatively they may be separated therefrom but closely adjacent.` The invention is effective with either form of structure. Similarly the partitions 1 may be -connected to a separate or false bottom to lie against the bottom 2 of the tray without aifectingthe operation.

A bar 9 having upwardly extending end portions IIl and II is adapted to be located between the adjacent ends of the partition members 'I and with the end edges of the upwardly extending end portions I IJ and I I received within the slots 5 and 6. The inner edges of the parts I0 and II preferably are downwardly and inwardly inclined and the intermediate major portion 9 of the bar is of lesser height than the partitions -I, as shown.

Associated with the tray and with the bar described when located between the parts 'I is an ice cube breaker yor separator which is placed in the tray before the water is frozen. In structure it includes a central longitudinal bar I2 shaped to lie immediately above the bar 9 and having ends inclined to conform substantially to the inner inclined edges of the projecting portions I 0 and II. The bar I2 is adapted to be located immediately above and in the same plane with the bar S and at one end may be provided with a projecting portion I2a to bear against the upper end of the part IIJ, as shown in. Fig. 5.

To said bar I2 a plurality of ice cube lifters or elevators are-attached. At one end adjacent the wider end portion II two plates I3, one at each side of the bar. I2 are located and permanently secured thereto extending beycndsaid bar I 2 and alongside the upwardly extending portion i I and entering the slot Each at its lower edge has a laterally extending section I4 integral therewith. Each at its upper end is provided with an upwardly extending ear I5 between which ears a lever IS is located and is pivotally mounted on and carried by said ears. The 'shorter arm; of the lever is preferably rounded or provided with a cam surface I6a immediately above the upper edge of said previously describe part II. At their inner edges the plates I3 are inclined to the vertical and said edges pass across the adjacent ends of the partitions 'I as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

On the remaining length of the bar I2 a plurality of ice cube lifters are mounted in succession, each made from a plate of flat metal and bent into substantially U-shape with a connecting portion I'I and depending spaced apartsides I8. The sides I8 like the plates I3 previously described ea-ch have an outwardly extending horizontal section I9 bent from its lower edge, said sections i@ and I9 lying against the upper side of the bottom'I and between the flanges 8 as shown in Fig. 4. The adjacent edges Vof the several side plates I8 are inclined to the vertical so that any two consecutive side plates I8 at their adjacent edges pass across the inner ends of adjacent partition (Fig. 4). The connecting portions i'i are located over and extend across the upper edge of the lbar i2. Pins 20 Vmount said cube lifters on Athe bar, passing through short vertical slots 2i. having upper and vlower closed ends (Fig. 5) so that veach .of `.the cubelifters, except the `first described, has a limited freedom of movement `with respect to `.the bar I2 by .reason of the pin and slot structure described.

Preferably, though notk essential 'to the present invention, a short lever 'bar 22 is pivotally mounted at the outer side of one end, as the end 3, of the tray having an outturned ,thumbpiece 23 for manual operation. The pivotal connection is adjacent the opposite end vof the bar but a short distance therefrom whereby when the bar is turned upwardly about its pivot., the free end will bear v,against the surface on which the tray is resting and lift the tray freeing it should it have a frozen connection Ato such surface.

In the use and operation of the structure described, the tray having assembled therewith the ice cube separator andlifter structure is filled with water tothe .desired height and the water is frozen to ice usually within the evaporator of a household refrigerator. In breaking loose and lifting the ice cubes theL bar. I6 lis turned upwardly from the position shown in Fig; 4 to that in Fig. 5, bringing the rounded 0r cam end Id thereof against the upper edge of the end DTO- jection Il on bar 9,. .The leverage, by reason of the design of the construction, isy large and by lifting upwardly at the Outer end of the long arm of bar I6 a relatively powerful lifting force is provided.

By reasonv of the construction shown and described the plates I3, with theirlaterally extending sections I4, will berstlifted without affecting the remaining li-fters consisting of the `plates I8 and their laterally extending sections I9. Thus it is required only at the beginning to break loose theV cubes ofy ice inthe. two cells ory compartments adjacent the end. d, of the tray. lMoreover, the immediate initial breaking loose is at the bottom at the'ledges 8 in sadcells-or. compartments, at their outer ends and at the vertical sides, the cubes notv being broken. loose at the beginning vfrom the plates I3 and theupper sides of the lateral-extensions. I4. But following in immediate succession after this initial breaking loose has occurred, due to the turning movement about the fulcrum Ia where it bears upon the upper edge of the part II, the ice cubes tend to be moved with the plates I3 and the extensions Ili'against the inner side of the endV i with the result'that the resistance ofsuch end 4' blocks the movement of the ice cubes, and causes a relative sliding of said cubes with respect to said plates I3 land parts I4 breaking the frozen bonds between them and the cubes.

All of this occurs with respect to the ice cubes in the iirst two cells before any action takes place with respect to the cells or compartments next adjacent, as the bar I2 may be lifted a sufficient distance for the effectual release of the two rst cubes to be separated before the pin 20, next adjacent reaches the upper end of its slot 2|. The same breaking loose and release of the cubes in the two next adjacent cells or compartments is repeated, and such repetition continues successively for the full length of the tray until the cubes at the other end of the tray have been broken loose and released.

Of course it is not necessary, if only a limited number `of ice cubes are wanted, to carry the process completely through but only far enough to release for removal the number of cubes required. The `release of the cubes from their frozen bond to the parts of the tray and apparatus to which they adhere is accompanied bya lifting i upward of those released, whereby less than the whole number of .cubes inthe tray are removable without the others being freed therefrom.

This action of vbreaking loose and lifting only two of the cubes at a time greatly diminishes the force required in the operation over what would be required if all of the cubes were to be disconnected simultaneously.

It is further to be noted that upon turning the lever I-Ii about its pivot to its extreme of movement the end i60: will come against the adjacent end of the bar I2 and in such position said bar eiland the ice cube separating and lifting units carried thereby may be lifted to any desired degree of inclination, raising the ice cubes above the tray and making them readily accessible for removal.

The construction of ice cube tray disclosed has proven very practical and successful in use. The structure is relatively simple and durable, is fully capable of withstanding the service for which it is designed, and is practical and effective in' all respects.

The invention is defined in the appended claims and is to be considered comprehensive of all forms of structure. coming within their scope.

I claim:

l. Al structure as described comprising, a tray having spaced sides and ends, a bottom in said tray, substantially vertical partitions connected with -said bottom and extending upwardly therefrom transversely of the tray, said partitions being divided between their ends to provide spaces and said ends at their inner sides having slots in alinement with said spaces, a bar disposed lengthwise of the tray extending through said spaces and seated at its ends in the slots at the ends of the tray, the intermediate portion of said bar being of materiallyy less height than the partitions and said bar at its ends having upwardly extending portions reaching substantially to the upper edges of the ends of said tray, andan' ice separating and lifting apparatus comprising a second longitudinal bar disposed above the intermediate portion of the rst mentioned bar between the upward extensions at the ends thereof, a pair of plates permanently secured adjacent one end and arranged one at each side of said bar and each at one vertical edge extending into the slot in the adjacent end of the tray, a lever pvotelly .mlirted Qn. and between said plates at their upper portions, additional plates at each side ofrsaid second bar, each of said additional plates and each of the first mentioned plates -having a laterally extending section at its lower end adapted to rest on said bottom, and pins connecting said last mentioned additional plates, said pin passing through said bar and said bar having vertical slots through which the pins pass.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1 in which said additional plates have cross-pieces connecting them at their upper edges and extending over the upper edges of said second mentionedbar, and the edges of all of said plates adjacent the ends of the transverse partitions being inclined to the vertical and passing across the adjacent ends of the partitions.

3. In a structure as described, a tray having spaced generally vertical sides and ends, abot-` tom, vertical partition-s secured to and extending upwardly from said bottom other and located transversely of ythe tray to provide a plurality of transverse compartments, said partitions substantially midway between their ends being divided and spaced their full heights, the spaces being alined longitudinally of the tray, and the ends of the tray havingslots at their inner sides in alinement with said spaces, a bar disposed longitudinally of the tray substantially centrally thereof between the Vends of said divided partitions, said bar having an intermediate portion of less height than the height of the sides and ends of the tray and having upwardly extending sections, the upper edges of which reach substantially to the upper edges of the associated ends of the tray, and an ice cube separating and lifting apparatus including a second `bar located between the upwardly extending end portions of the first bar, and ice cube separating and lifting units mounted on the length of said second bar in succession, means for elevating said second bar at one end, andmeans actuated by said second bar for successively lifting the ice cube separating and lifting units one after another beginning at said one end and continuing in succession toward the the bar.

4. In a structure as described, a tray having a bottom, vertical ends and vertical sides spaced from each other adapted to receive waterto be frozen, vertical partitions attached to said bottom extending transversely between its sides, said partitions being connected to theibottom and said partitions substantially midway between spaced from each opposite end of its ends being vertically divided and spaced from their upper edges to said bottom, said spaces being in alinement, a longitudinal partition in said tray extending through said vertical spaces, and an ice cube separator and lifting apparatus including a longitudinal bar located lengthwise of the tray and received in the spaces between the ends of the adjacent partitions, and a plurality of separating and lifting units mounted on said bar in spaced relation to each other, each of said units including two spaced vertical sides and a laterally extending section at the lower edge of each side, said sides of each unit lying at opposite sides of the bar, means for securing the sides of the unit at one end of the tray fixedly to one end of the bar, means for securing the sides of the remaining units to said bar including 'pins connecting said sides and passing through vertical slots in said bar, and manually operable means accessible from above said bar and units, including a pivotally mounted lever connected with the sides of said unit fixedly secured to said bar and arranged to fulcrum upon the end of said longitudinal partition, the other end being free for lifting, as and for the purposes specified.

5. An ice tray having a bottom, sides and ends, transverse partitions extending between said sides dividing said tray into compartments, a bar extending longitudinally of said tray and across said partitions and having a fulcrum near one of said ends, means for forcibly lifting the other end of the bar about said fulcrum, a lifting device in each compartment lying adjacent said bottom, andmeans for connecting said lifting devices to said bar each having a limited vertical movement relative to the bar whereby upon raising the bar about said fulcrum the lifting devices will `be individually and successively raised.

6. The elements of claim 5 in which each of said lifting devices includes a vertical member serving as a vertical wall of a compartment.

HUGH COLLISTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

